Bernie wrote:
>
> This is a bug IMNSHO, a program should check to see
> that the input it gets is correct.
Correct? What's correct? Is "del *.com" correct?
Is "format a:/u" correct? Is "deltree windows" correct?
> Sadly I think I know what Steven will answer
Why so sad, Bernie? Your psychic ability should give
you joy, not sadness.
> - something along the lines that only people who knows
> what they are doing should use these commands, a big
> error IMNSHO in the design of programs for Linux.
Why pick on Linux? DOS is the same. If a user makes a
mistake in a command, he can get a distructive result.
For example, if you carelessly hold down the shift key
while entering "del 8ball.com", you will delete every
com file in that directory. Try that in your root DOS
directory for some real fun.
At some time, all of us have deleted the wrong file or
formatted the wrong disk. Format, del, deltree and debug
are like loaded guns -- you need to be very careful how
you use them.
The incident which gave arise to this thread involved
dd (a low-level Linux command, similar in destructive
potential to the DOS debug command). Tell me, Bernie,
what would you say if a DOS newbie mangled debug and
crashed his CMOS ?
Cheers,
Steven
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Linux for old PCs: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~ichi
